New Delhi: The Government of India is diligently working to monitor seismic activities and identify high seismic risk zones in the Himalayan region to mitigate potential impacts, the Lok Sabha was informed today.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, highlighted these efforts undertaken by the government to address seismic risks and protect the environment in the Himalayan region.
He said that the National Centre for Seismology, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, maintains 24×7 monitoring of earthquake activity in and around the country, with a particular focus on the Himalayan regions, known for their high seismic potential.
The Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, under the Department of Science and Technology, operates about 70 broadband seismograph stations in the Northwest and Northeast Himalaya, enabling the evaluation of seismic hazards and earthquake precursory studies, he said.
Additionally, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has undertaken landslide susceptibility zonation mapping in the Northwest and Northeast Himalayan areas, while establishing a network of 30 Global Navigation Satellite System based Continuously Operating Reference Stations to monitor crustal deformation,” said the minister.
Geological Survey of India (GSI) has also conducted research and development studies in landslide-prone areas and installed permanent Global Positioning System (GPS) stations across the country to monitor plate movement and map areas with strain inhomogeneity. GSI’s Seismo-Geodetic Data Receiving and Processing Centre receives and processes real-time data from remote broadband seismic observatories.
“The information gathered by these organizations is disseminated to state and central disaster management authorities, aiding in regional developmental planning and further research studies to manage seismic disasters effectively,” said the minister.
Recognizing the importance of mountain ecosystems in maintaining ecological balance, the Government of India adopted the National Environment Policy in 2006, which promotes appropriate land use planning and watershed management for sustainable development of mountain ecosystems, he added.
Initiatives such as the Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, established by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, advance scientific knowledge and management strategies for conserving biodiversity and natural resources in the Indian Himalayan Region. Furthermore, the National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem, under the Department of Science and Technology, aims to safeguard mountain ecosystems through management measures.
The National Remote Sensing Centre has compiled a Landslide Atlas of India, showcasing landslides occurring between 1998 and 2022 in hilly regions. The database covers landslide vulnerable areas in 17 states and 2 union territories in the Himalayas and Western Ghats.
“This data has been used to assess landslide risks based on key socio-economic parameters, effectively ranking 147 hilly districts in India. The landslide database also highlights advanced techniques in detection, modeling, and prediction,” said the minister.

Press Trust of India